The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1887-01-05
CAUGHT BY A BIG CLAM.
4 Thrilling Story Told by Navy Lieuten.
ant-Dangerous Situation.

The following swimming story is
told by lieutenant in the navy: Il
kept my eyes fixed on my companion,
Brown, who was acting in singular
manner. After every few seconds his
head would disappear beneath the water
in which he stood, then it would appear
again. He seemed to be struggling
violently. As l approached him he
threw up his hands and cried out in
accents that haunt me still, For heav-
ems sake, Lieutenant, quick, and help
mel! / dashed out to him through
water up to my waist What is it?
What has hold of you?' exclaimed.
It's big oyster or big clam,' he
groaned. 4 was wading here and
stepped into it. I expect It's shell
closed, gripped my ankle, and, to save
my life, can't move; and the tide will
soon be over our heads here he added,
and with something almost like a sob.
He had been struggling here for Is or
20 minutes. Ihad heard of the tridac-
nagigas, or monster clam, of this coast
and instantly realized the danger of his
situation; ION, Courage. old fellow" l
paddle and the Ratchet" then ducked
down under the water and with my
hands felt about his foot
The huge mollusk had what might be
termed death grip on him. The crea-
ture's shell was several feet long and of
proportionate breadth, and the weight
of the shell-fsh must have been at least
500 pounds. The creature was attached
to the coral rock by a grisly bysus as
thick as my arm. Raising myself, I got
breath, then. seizing the paddle, thrust
the shaft Of it between the converging
edges of the two valves of the shell, and,
using it as a lever, attempted to pry the
shell apart But could not open it.
Brown, too, ducking down, seized hold
with his hands and pulled with all his
strength. but exerting all our power,
| we could not release the monsters hold
Again and again l threw nay whole
weight ON the shaft Of the paddle, and
at length broke it. By this time the
water was up to my shoulders when
| stood up. Fully realizing that what
, ever did must be done in few min
utes more, else the poor fellow woulc
drown, snatched the hatchet from
Browns hand. and, diving, tried to GU
under the shell. to break the creature,
anchorage on the rock. With Nigh
and main cut and hacked-then ros,
an instant for brexth-then down ant
at it again. But 1t seemed as though
! could not cut through the tough muscle
Four times l diEed, and with franti
haste cnt at those tough byssi. Il
stlrsr' at length Brown cried, bracinj
. his weight upon his free foot and lifting
at it Then, with final blow, the byl
sus was severed, and the buoyancy o
} the water aiding US. we dragged tn
. great mollusk-stiu. fast to Brown
ankle-back to higher ground on tn
! reef. Here the water was waist deep
= however, and looked anxiously aroun'
& for Mac, in the lakatoi To my mex
pressible joy he was close at hand. an,
4 between US We lifted Brown, with hi
now captured csptor. into the canoe
Even then We could not-both Of Us to
gether-pry the valves of the shell apa,
n enough to release Browns foot, unit
with q knife we had reached in an
completely divided the tridacna-saw
ing asunder the hinge muscles at th
base of the bivalve. It was truly G
= gantic clam, and as poetic retributiol
upon it for the attempt on the life 9
: one Of our party. we ate portion OF il
n flesh for our supper, but found it rathe
y tough. Browns ankle was severel
bruised and wrenched, and he sufere
It for many day from the vice-like gri
v of the huge mollusk.-7he Argonouk